Monday, April 18, 2016

(Damascus) Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi announced that Russia
and Syria are preparing a joint operation to seize Aleppo City on April 10.
Although Russia later denied any plans to "storm" the city, thousands
of pro-regime fighters have reportedly begun to mass near Aleppo. Meanwhile,
Syria held a new round parliamentary elections on April 13. The ballots only
occurred in regime-held areas and opposition groups condemned the election as a
sham. These activities risk the total collapse of a tenuous 'cessation of
hostilities' and corresponding UN-led peace process, fuelling a new round of
violence in the Syrian Civil War.